NEW YORK: Reflecting the bullish employment market, companies in the U.S plan to recruit new personnel over the next three months, says a survey. According to a study by job portal Career Builder, nearly three-in-ten employers surveyed are planning to hire employees in the April-June quarter of 2011. "Job listings are up across all categories, from healthcare and technology to manufacturing... As the nation moves toward greater financial stability, more employers are investing in talent for the long-term," CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson said. The survey states that six percent of the respondents expect to downsize staff while 63 percent are anticipating no change in the status. Another four percent have not yet decided on their hiring move. Further, 28 percent employers have hired employees in the first quarter of 2011, the highest since the first quarter of 2008. "While employers are keeping a close eye on world events, their confidence levels with regard to recruitment have remained intact," he said. Notably, hiring among small businesses, the major driver behind new job creation in the U.S, is showing signs of improvement. About 23 percent companies with 500 or less employees surveyed plan to recruit employees in the second quarter, up from 19 percent last quarter. Besides, 17 percent companies with 50 or less employees expect to add new employees, up from 14 percent last quarter. Hiring in larger organisations is also trending positive as 36 percent of the companies with more than 500 employees plan to add staff in the second quarter, up from 30 percent from previous quarter. Interestingly, the survey indicates fewer employers are planning to reduce staff levels. About five percent companies with 500 or less employees plan to decrease staff, down from seven percent last quarter. On the other hand, seven percent of those with more than 500 employees plan to downsize, an improvement from nine percent last quarter. When it comes to compensation many employees are bullish over salary hikes and expect it to increase by up to 11 percent in the second quarter. Besides, more job openings translates into more competition for highly skilled workers. Employers (33 percent) are concerned that top performers will look for job opportunities outside of their organisation as the economy improves. Similarly, 31 percent of employees said they are likely to start looking for another job as the economy improves. The survey was conducted within the U.S by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,878 hiring managers and 5,671 employees between February and March.